The storm had passed, but Rashel knew better than to trust the calm. After Seth’s visit, the entire pack buzzed with tension. Rumors spread through Scepter Tower like wildfire. That Seth would challenge Jethro in his territory, that another Alpha would come to wage war on them and disrupt the peace of their affairs, and then walk away free, was a concept most of them could not grasp.
But for Rashel, the more immediate threat was closer to home, Veronica. She could feel the other woman’s hatred like a knife at her back. Quiet, poised, and ready to strike. Veronica didn’t just want Jethro back; she wanted Rashel and any future threats destroyed. And for that, she would stop at nothing, exploring every means possible.
****
In the days that foll
The way to the southern borders brought strong, painful waves of nostalgia to Rashel. As she made her way to the Fortis pack, she saw how different it had become. Almost as if it belonged to outlaws, there was no order anymore. Seth had begun to lose everything even before his time was up.It had been a year since she’d walked out of this place. No, she’d been accused and thrown out, discarded and condemned to die without mercy. All while Viola stood and watched. Seth didn’t even think twice as she pronounced judgement on her. A woman he had been married to for years. But it wasn’t her fate to waste away, and that was precisely why she had come here.Rashel pushed all the bitter memories from her mind. She didn’t need them, especially not now. She wasn’t here for nostalgia or worse, reconciliation.She was here to bury a hatchet. She needed Seth off her back, and while he did that, she needed him to keep a leash on his woman a
Across the city, in the southern borders, chaos unfolded just like every other day. It had become a norm for the southern dwellers to experience a total state of confusion and frequent unlawfulness.“Seth? Baby? Please calm down. Don’t let the stress cloud your judgement too. Come on.” Viola purred as she calmly followed a raging Seth to his office.“My mind is not clouded!” He snapped and slammed the door behind them. “I’ve always been surrounded by traitors!”Viola’s heart skipped a beat for a moment at the mention of betrayal.“Baby? Don’t say that.” She said, not losing her composure.“But it’s true. First, it’s Merikh. My own brother, plotting to take my position. Can’t he wait just two damn years! Then it was Rashel. She cheated on me after I gave her everything. I put Fortis into her hands and gave her everything she needed to develop it. Now she
The scenery and details of the conference in Chicago had already begun to fade from Rashel’s mind, and she wondered if it was even necessary to have gone there in the first place. Considering the trip had only disrupted her life further. Her encounters with Viola and Merikh from the store to the hotel stayed with her like a terrible secret.She had decided to stay away from the issue and not interfere. Seth made his choice when he woke one morning and decided to choose Viola. Now it was time to face the consequences of his actions. Two things influenced her decision.Firstly, if she told Seth of the plot to end his life, she would have to expose Viola and Merikh’s affair, which, of course, they had warned her to stay out of. Secondly, if she exposed them, they would go after her son, and it might lead to
Seth’s life was in danger.It was all Rashel could think about as the conference commenced, up until it was over.The room was full of people and voices, but Rashel barely heard or said a word except for a few pleasantries here and there.And if he doesn’t, we’ll just get rid of him. Viola, his lovely wife, had said.But that had been two hours ago. Two long hours of internal conflict.She replayed the words in her mind over and over, trying to make sense of them. Firstly, she didn’t understand why it bothered her so much, and secondly, why did Merikh have to kill Seth? Couldn’t he just wait till the time
The days that followed Jethro’s recovery were tough. Rashel had begun to block him out, and even though he didn’t understand why, he tried as much as he could to respect her decision. In the days that followed, they prepared for an attack from Seth and his people because Jethro had supposedly gone to stir up trouble, even though he refused to admit it. They beefed up security around his estate and around Sceptre Towers.But it wasn’t all bad news; Dixon Holdings had called to apologize for pulling out of the partnership. They offered Sceptre Towers a check of one million dollars as compensation for damages done and reinitiated the partnership deal.***Rashel was supposed to travel to Chicago for a business meeting in three days, and she was panicking. Firstly, she was travelling with Kael but without Jethro, and as much as she tried to deny it, it scared her.She also worried about being intercepted by Seth or even Merikh’s forces
Rashel had taken to paranoia. She had begun to watch and suspect everyone around her. She had started to become incapable of rest and seemed to have forgotten what it meant to be at peace with herself or her surroundings.Since the day she received the message, her days were a blur of strategy meetings, security sweeps, and code audits, all while making sure Kael never felt the weight of the war she was fighting. Even though he was still too young to understand anything.On most days she now worked from home to keep an eye on him. On the days she went into the office, she brought him to Scepter’s private lounge, where Jethro had constructed a secure playroom for Kael and whoever was nursing him. The room had sensor alarms for weapons and cameras situated in every corner, making it look like it was being used fo